Virat Kohli’s last appearance at No. 3 in Tests was back in August 2016.
Rain ruined Day 1 of the first Test match between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, causing the match to start later than planned. On the second day of play, India opted to bat after winning the toss, but they quickly found themselves in serious danger after losing important batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan early on, leaving them at 13/3.
Rohit Sharma, who opened the innings, was cleaned up by Tim Southee in the seventh over. A major surprise came when Kohli walked out to bat at No. 3 for India—a position he hadn’t occupied in Test cricket for eight years. Typically, Kohli has batted at No. 4 in Tests, where he has built an illustrious career, but with Shubman Gill unavailable due to neck stiffness, India was forced to reshuffle their batting order. Sarfaraz Khan was slotted in at No. 4, while Kohli took up the unfamiliar No. 3 role.
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Kohli’s stay at the crease, however, was cut short by New Zealand’s rising star, William O’Rourke. The tall pacer bowled a short-of-length delivery on off-stump that nipped back in sharply, exploiting his height to generate extra bounce. Kohli, looking to defend off his toes, ended up gloving the ball towards leg gully, where Glenn Phillips took a brilliant low catch, diving forward just before the ball hit the ground. Kohli was dismissed for a duck after facing just eight balls.
The decision to bat Kohli at No. 3 was a notable shift, as the 35-year-old has had limited success at that position. Kohli’s last appearance at No. 3 in Tests was back in August 2016 during a series in the West Indies. In seven innings at No. 3, he has managed just 97 runs at an average of 16.16. In contrast, Kohli has flourished at No. 4, scoring 7355 runs at an average of 52.53, with 25 centuries and 21 fifties to his name.
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